The Barn Affair
by QuikSylver
Summary: What if you were given the power to save two of four people stuck in a burning barn, but you had to leave one of the others to die and kill the last with a pitchfork? Please read and review!
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Near the end of BtVS season 7 and Angel season 4.

It was a dark, starless night, but despite that it was humid and warm. Angel has a feeling a storm was coming.

He and Connor are taking a leisurely stroll through the gentle Californian countryside when they come upon an old, dilapidated barn that looked like it could spontaneously combust at any moment. It was in the middle of no where. The only things close by was a caved in farm house a couple of hundred metres away and several trees.

"Let's explore," suggests Connor, an eager gleam in his eyes. Since he spends so little time with his son, the vampire with a soul agrees and father and son go inside.

"Ow – damn it!" snarls Angel as he trips over a pitchfork someone has carelessly left there in the past. Connor stifles the urge to laugh as he steps around his prostrate father and into the ancient structure.

Once a safe distance away, he lets a muffled chuckle escape as he looks around the old building. It smells of a myriad of different things that have faded over time, and he finds himself fascinated. In Quor-Toth, there hadn't been anything like this.

Angel remembers when he and Darla had hidden in a barn to escape Holtz, but he decides that this isn't something he should probably share with his son. "So, what do you think?" he asks instead.

"It is... strange," Connor replies finally, turning to regard his father.

---

Buffy, Faith and Spike had needed an escape. From the First Evil, from the stress of training the Potentials for a battle they couldn't hope to win, basically from reality. So they took Spike's motorcycle, somehow managing to all fit on it, and drove.

They come quite suddenly upon a rather run-down barn. Spike kills the motor and by silent mutual agreement they go to investigate.

---

"Someone's coming," Connor says, glancing out the window. He sees the Slayer from before – Faith. Another, smaller girl with blonde hair walks alongside her. A male vampire with bleached blonde hair and a black duster walks on her other side. He reminds Connor vaguely of his father, although he can't imagine why.

"Who?" Angel comes to stand beside the teenager. His face registers shock when he sees the trio. "Buffy," he mumbles. "And... Spike."

From the way he says the last, Connor can tell it's a name, and a hated on at that.

"Who?" he asks as they draw nearer.

"From Sunnydale," is the elaborate reply from the vamp with a soul.

"Ah." Connor remembers hearing tales of Buffy, the original Slayer of this generation, and also of Spike, Angel's apparent arch-nemesis, who also happened to be Angelus' childe. Small world.

"...Smell a vamp with excess amounts of hair gel and a human," Spike was saying. "Angel and someone else."

"I do not wear excessive amounts of hair gel!" Angel hisses indignantly, glaring at the approaching vampire.

Connor smirks. "They're obviously not a threat to us," he remarks, watching as rain begins to fall lightly.

"Bloody hell!" Spike curses and runs for the barn.

Buffy murmurs something to Faith and the two Slayers share a laugh before following him.

---

Spike's mind reels with a confusing swirl of emotions as he enters the barn, but foremost among them was the thought _Not that bloody ponce. Again!_

He sees Angel's familiar figure immediately. Not so familiar is the slimmer form of the unknown human boy who stands beside him. His face bears a slight resemblance to that of his grandsire.

Buffy and Faith appear behind him a moment later, just as lightning flashes, accompanied by the resounding boom of thunder several moments later.

"Angel," Faith says finally, breaking the uneasy silence that has descended. "Long time, no see." A wry smile tugs are her lips as she says this.

"How are you, Faith?" the other vampire asks a little awkwardly.

"Five by five." She grins and turns to Connor. "How ya been, kid?"

"All right," replies the boy blandly.

Buffy clears her throat. "Gonna introduce us, Faith?"

"Sure things, B. Connor, Buffy. Buffy, Connor. Connor, Spike. Spike, Connor." The brunette blinks. "Whoa, that was confusing."

"It really was, luv," Spike agrees with a grin, taking a step forward...

...and tripping on the pitchfork! More thunder and lightning, but not in that order.

Buffy rolls her eyes, struggling not laugh. Faith is not having such luck and has staggered away, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Looks like vampires have an attraction to pitchforks," Connor observes, a wide grin on his face as he ignores the glare his father throws at him.

"So," Angel says loudly, drawing their attention away from the incident. "What... bring you here?"

"Needed to escape," Spike says, back on his feet and acting like nothing has just happened between him and the farming instrument. "Inevitable apocalypse, unbelievable odds... against us, of course. You know, the usual." These words are punctuated by a flash of lighting, boom of thunder.

Connor shakes his head in disbelief. "You people are so weird."

"Hey, I'm not the kid of two vamps," Faith retorts.

"Kid of two vamps?" Buffy repeats, not understanding.

"Yeah, see--"

A bright light flashes followed instantly by the crash of thunder and when their eyes clear they're surrounded by flames on all sides.

"Bloody hell," Spike mutters, looking around for some escape and making sure to keep well away from the fire.

Then there was another, less bright flash and a girl with spiky silver streaked black hair dressed mainly in black, stands before them.

"Stupid Powers... Damn Drogyn..." the girl mumbles to herself, then seems to realize they're all staring at her. "Ahem. Here's how this is going to work. One of you will be given the ability to save two people, by carrying one out and throwing the other through a window, the ability kill one by stabbing them with the pitchfork-" Everyone looks to the entrance and are surprised to see the tool unscathed. "--and leave one to die--"

"Wait, what _is_ this?" Buffy demands. "Who are you?"

The girl blinks. "Taywen. Yeah. And _this_ is a trial set upon you by the Power That Be. Know the name? I do, and way to well. They should all..." She trails off, then continues. "So, I need you all to get into a circle, so I can decide who to bestow the ability to save, kill and leave to die, all right?"

The five stare at her in confusion.

She rolls her eyes. "What are you deaf?! Circle, _now_!" She snaps her fingers and they suddenly find themselves in a circle around her. "All right, don't move." She closes her eyes, sticks out her arm with one finger pointed and begins to spin.

"I don't believe this," Spike grumbles. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"No idea," Buffy snaps back. "But I can't move." The others try to move and realize she's right – they're rooted to the spot.

"What is this, some kind of sick joke?" Connor asks, watching as Taywen spins faster. "I hope she doesn't hit us."

"Yeah, how incompetent would that make her look." Faith snorts and glares at the girl.

She begins to slow, her eyes still closed, then gradually comes to a stop pointing to...

_Author's Note: Kind of strange, I know, but please bear with me. I'm going to post a chapter from each of their points of view soon._


	2. Spike's POV

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Angel/Buffy. Any characters that are not from those shows belong to _me_.** Just realized I hadn't put that, so there it is!

* * *

"I don't believe this," Spike grumbles. "What the bloody hell is going on?" 

"No idea," Buffy snaps back. "But I can't move." The others try to move and realize she's right – they're rooted to the spot.

"What is this, some kind of sick joke?" Connor asks, watching as Taywen spins faster. "I hope she doesn't hit us."

"Yeah, how incompetent would that make her look." Faith snorts and glares at the girl.

Spike runs the options through his mind – he will stab Angel with the pitchfork, of course, if he is chosen, but with the metal part so it wouldn't kill him, then leave him to die. He doesn't really know the Connor kid... He has a strange smell, that of a normal human, but something fainter, hidden beneath... Power. That's what it is. Almost like Buffy and Faith.

Buffy. He would throw her out the window, a bit out of spite... Ok, mostly out of spite. But who to carry out? Connor, Angel's son... Angel's _son._ How the bloody hell had _that_ happened? No matter right now. Or Faith? Admittedly, Connor had the fact of being related to Angel against him, but Faith had tried to kill Buffy, several times. He shook his head. He'd decide if he was picked.

She begins to slow, her eyes still closed, then gradually comes to a stop pointing to...

Connor.

"All right, it's decided," Taywen drawls cheerfully. "Have fun y'all." She pauses a moment, then adds, "Oh, and if you so much as try to change the rules or save more than two people, I'll be back and this'll start all over again. And you've only got fifteen minutes." She gives them a mocking salute and disappears.

There is an uneasy moment of silence as Connor tries not to meet anyone's eyes while everyone else stares at him expectantly. Spike can see the boy looks... angry. His face shows nothing, but his stance, the flashing of his eyes... Definitely angry.

Beside Spike, Buffy clears her throat loudly. The blonde vampire notices she is wearing a watch. When had that happened?

The Slayer was looking pointedly at the watch. "Thirteen minutes left," she says gravely.

Connor's eyes snap to the Californian, but he says nothing. The uneasy silence resumes, until Faith finally growls, "Well? Kill me if you want, but just say _something!"_

The child of two vampires glares at her. "I will kill... Angel." Another moment of silence, this time shocked, then Spike bursts out laughing. Angel looks stricken.

"What did I do?" the first vampire with a soul demands as his son goes to pick of the pitchfork. He tries to move but finds himself once again rooted to the spot.

"Do you remember," Connor says quietly, hefting the pitchfork easily despite his deceivingly lithe form, "When I sunk you to the bottom of the ocean?"

Faith, Buffy and Spike exchange confused glances. The blonde vamp has certainly never heard of this.

Angel nods slowly, a look of understanding dawning on his face.

"I figure this is the chance to correct that crucial mistake that I made a year ago: Not killing you. So here's the second chance... Better not blow it, right?" He looks at his father. From his tone, he should be smiling but he's not; his face is blank, a shapeless mask behind which his true feelings hide. An unforgiving stone wall protecting those within. Only his eyes show any signs of emotion, windows that allow glances inside, small glimpses of what really goes on in there.

The dark-haired Irish vampire's face is equally emotionless; he has decided to take his fate with dignity. Spike's lip curls into a sneer. He always was such a bloody fool.

"There's got to be another way," the Slayer says desperately, trying to get to the man she has viewed as her saviour ever since that fateful day... Faith struggles to move, Spike can see it on her face, but her efforts are futile; she's just as stuck as any of them, except for Connor.

"Faith," Angel says quietly. "Let it go."

"No can do boss," the brunette grunts, still struggling, her eyes glaring daggers at Connor. _If looks could kill_. The words rise unbidden in Spike's mind and he almost smiles.

Connor doesn't even spare the second Slayer a glance as he snaps the wooden handle of the pitchfork over his knee, creating a makeshift stake. His hand snakes out, stabbing the vampire before him straight in the heart.

Silence. Angel's face registers anguish, then... _Dust._ Spike feels a small, minute, tiny, hardly-there-at-all pang of pain at losing his grandsire. The emotion quickly passes. Not so for Buffy or Faith. They look as stricken as Angel had when Connor announced his intents.

They are all free to move again. Spike walks up to Buffy and seizes her wrist. She tries to jerk away but can't; he looks at her watch. This little drama back there has taken all of ten minutes. What a waste of time that stupid ponce was.

"Three more minutes," Spike mutters to himself, releasing her arm. "Who're you gonna save, my new psycopathic friend?" he asks Connor.

The boy shrugs, studying each in turn. "Faith," he replies. "But I can't decide between you and the other Slayer."

"Pick me, mate," the vampire advises. Screw his soul, he'd rather live than play the chivalrous hero. "I've got a better sense of humor, and I'm smarter, faster and stronger."

Buffy doesn't comment, apparently too caught up in her grief to register what her former lover had just said.

"Perhaps I can throw you both out at the same time," Connor remarks under his breath, glancing around. Spike suddenly remembers that the barn is on fire. It certainly doesn't feel like it. Come to think of it, the fire hasn't spread at all. It seems content to just lick at anyone who got too close.

"Sure, do that," Spike mutters. "But make it quick. Only a minute left."

Connor nods and goes over to where Buffy is standing. He picks her up easily in one hand despite her protests at being able to carry herself. Then the strange human walks over to the vampire and picks him up just as easily as Buffy.

"Hurry," Spike says urgently, then laughs in spite of himself. This is insane.

Then he's flying through the window, Buffy a couple of inches away. The ground looms up...

And they're back in the barn. Angel is there as well. They're back in that stupid circle, and Taywen is glaring disapprovingly at them. Or trying to; it's hard to look at people standing behind you.

"Did I not make myself clear?" she demands, looking annoyed. "No changing the rules and all that! Now I'm going to erase all of your memories of the past fifteen minutes and you're all going to have to redo this again!" She waves her hand as if swatting some bugs out of her face, then she closes her eyes, sticks out her arm with one finger pointed and begins to spin.

"I don't believe this," Spike grumbles. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"No idea," Buffy snaps back. "But I can't move." The others try to move and realize she's right – they're rooted to the spot.

"What is this, some kind of sick joke?" Connor asks, watching as Taywen spins faster. "I hope she doesn't hit us."

"Yeah, how incompetent would that make her look." Faith snorts and glares at the girl.

She begins to slow, her eyes still closed, then gradually comes to a stop pointing to...

* * *

Author's Note: I'm happy with this chapter... I hope you liked it. I got mostly good comments... 66 percent, at least... a C... Anyhow, please review! 


	3. Angel's POV

Angel shivers slightly – he isn't cold, though. Besides the obvious fact that he is a vampire and can't feel differences in temperature, he and the rest are surrounded by fire. He feels like he should remember something... It's on the tip of his tongue... Then it's gone.

He studies the spinning girl intently. If so much hadn't hung in the balance, he might have laughed at the stupidity of it all. Then again, probably not; that's more his evil alter-ego Angelus' area than his.

Taywen begins to slow and he feels a slight flutter of anxiety at the back of his mind, which he quickly pushes away. If he is picked, Angel has already decided who he will kill (Spike), who he will save (Connor and Buffy) and who he will leave to die (Faith). He'd had a moment of inner struggle on whether he should save his psychotic son, but the bonds of family were stronger than that. He also loved Buffy, or at least had, and that affection was hard to just shrug off, so she was chosen over Faith. There had been no contest about Spike's fate whatsoever in the Irish vampire's mind and he felt no guilt in his unbeating heart over his decision.

Taywen stops before...

Faith.

"All right, remember the rules, no trying to cheat, i.e. saving more than the allowed number, killing more than the allowed number and so forth. If you do, you'll suffer the consequences! Fifteen minutes is all you get; any longer and the barn will collapse, killing all of you. Have fun!" Taywen smirks and disappears with those words.

Faith looks startled but quickly shakes it off. Her eyes are calculating as she looks from one to the next and Angel is reminded of his last year in Sunnydale, when he had seen Faith then, the evil, corrupted Slayer. He has never admitted it, but he had feared her a little, feared what she might have become should the mayor's Ascension be successful.

Beside him, Spike shifts impatiently. "Hurry up," he snarls. "Just get the whole bloody thing over with!"

The dark Slayer shrugs. "What's the hurry?" she demands.

"The hurry would be the time ticking away," Buffy answers. "Thirteen minuts and counting." Angel sees a Rolex watch adorning her wrist. Where had that come from?

"This is stupid," Connor mutters. "Why not just climb out the window?" To prove his point, Angel's son walks toward the window. The fire leaps up onto his clothes and he burns supernaturally quickly. Angel takes a step forward to save his son, but he's too late. Connor has only the time to scream before he is consumed. His smoking corpse falls to the ground and the fire returns to tamely burning around the perimeter, as if daring the others to come closer.

"Right then," Spike whispers. "No escaping through windows." He looks a little more pale than usual, but it quickly passes and he turns back to Faith, relieved that the chances of his escaping without harm have just risen by 12

"Connor," Angel murmurs, falling to his knees beside the burnt body. A thousand thoughts run through his mind in that moment. If only he hadn't agreed go inside. If only he hadn't brought Connor out here. If only...

"Nine and a half minutes," Buffy says in a bored voice, apparently not caring about her first lover's dead son.

"Nice watch, B." Faith grins. "Where'd you get it?"

"No idea," Buffy says vaguely, looking a little confused. "I... Someone gave it to me."

"Cool." Faith shrugs and loses interest. "So, saving people and all that. Isn't that more of your area of expertise, Angel?" She doesn't seem to care about the darker vampire's son either.

"Exactly, so leave him to die. He can save himself," Spike interrupts. "You know, who really cares about that hair gel-obsessed nancy boy anyway?"

"I am _not_ hair gel-obsessed!" Angel snarls, jumping to his feet. His eyes flash angrily, his deceased son momentarily forgotten as he leaps at his grandchilde. "And I'm not a nancy boy!" He crashes into the blonde vampire, his momentum propelling them both back...

Into the fire.

The flames roar up and consume the vampires even faster than they had Connor, leaving only a slight film of ash that flutters around before landing on the straw floor.

Buffy blinks. "Five more minutes... Out of curiosity, who would you have saved, killed and stuff if they were all still here?"

Faith looks thoughtful. "Not sure, B. I'd probably have left you... Sorry, but Spike and Angel are just more... appealing." She winks suggestively. "Killed Connor, thrown Spike out the window and carried Angel out."

Buffy nods, not looking overly surprised. "Good thing they're all gone though, so now I'll live."

"Good thing," Faith agrees absently. "All right, let's go then. I've gotta carry your ass out of here in how many minutes?"

"Three," Buffy responds, casting a glance at her shiny Rolex. "Pretty shiny, isn't it?"

Faith nods and picks her up easily, slinging her over her shoulder. "And away we go, B." The dark Slayer strides easily across the barn floor. The fire parts, leaving behind unmarked straw.

"Weird," Buffy remarks from her position on her fellow Slayer's shoulders.

Faith nods again and they emerge outside, where it is still raining. "Wonder why the rain didn't put the fire out." It's more of a statement than a question.

"Power That Be thing I guess," Buffy says. "And another thing: I thought the Powers were more interested in Angel than the Slay-"

Then they're back in the barn, in a circle around Taywen. All of them, not just the two Slayers. "In answer to your question, Slayer, I think they think the Watcher's Council is enough guidance for the Slayer." From her tone, it's clear she does not. "But they need to guide Angel in his fight against evil for reasons I can't discern... And you're all starting to piss me off! I told you the first ti- Er, never mind. But seriously, enough with the attempted rule-changing! It's _not funny!"_ She glares at Angel and Spike.

"Hey, he started it," Spike complains. "And we would have both lived if you hadn't been such a selfish ponce!"

"I am _not_ a _ponce!"_ Angel yells back. He somehow has the knowledge of all that went on after his and Spike's untimely demise. "Besides, she would have killed Connor and I wouldn't have accepted that."

"The kid was already dead!" Spike snaps. "Get over it! He was bloody crazy anyway!"

"All right, all right, boys, calm down," Taywen says, and they find themselves unable to speak. Their mouths move but no sound escapes. "I'm going to erase all of your memories and you'll have to do this all over again!" Then she mutters to herself, "Again."

Angel hears this but doesn't have time to ponder its meaning before his memory is erased.

"I don't believe this," Spike grumbles. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"No idea," Buffy snaps back. "But I can't move." The others try to move and realize she's right – they're rooted to the spot.

"What is this, some kind of sick joke?" Connor asks, watching as Taywen spins faster. "I hope she doesn't hit us."

"Yeah, how incompetent would that make her look." Faith snorts and glares at the girl.

* * *

Author's Note:

vaguely amused (anon. reviewer): I'll probably have her leave their memories intact in the future but for now they won't remember a thing.

Anyhow, hope you all liked this chapter... Thanks for reviewing... And please review again! lol

QuikSylver


	4. Faith's POV

Faith blinks, as if waking from some dream that she should remember but can't. So much for those prophetic Slayer dreams. Better strike that off of her resume.

She glares at the silver-streaked black-haired girl spinning before her. What a ridiculous way to choose who would have such an important power. As if she doesn't already have enough shit like this going on in her life. Who were these asshole Powers That Be anyway? And why the hell did they have to interfere with her life?!

_Because they're afraid._

The words rise unbidden in her mind. Where had they come from? Faith narrows her eyes. She has already decided she disliked this whole affair and – Where the hell had the word 'affair' come from? She doesn't use words like that.

Then it comes to her; the words had come from her Watcher, the woman who had trained her before being murdered by Kakistos. Rose. Her mouth twists into a wry smile. Somehow she doubts that these Powers were afraid of her. After all, hadn't Wes taken her out of jail so she could track down Angelus, and in doing so come upon The Beast? ((A/N: And what was up with him anyhow?? If Jasmine was after world peace and all that, what's with the rain of fire, mass destruction thing? o.O)) She shudders as she remembers the narrow escape she had made.

But that was all behind her. Rose, The Beast, Angelus... All behind her. If she had been sentimental, she might have leaked a tear or two... But she wasn't.

The girl comes to a stop pointing to the spot directly in the center of space separating Angel and Spike.

Here we go... Faith thinks, rolling her eyes. The two vamps with a soul had serious issues in her mind.

"'S closer to me!" Spike says, glaring at the Irish vampire out of the corner of his eye.

"No, it's closer to me," Angel retorts. Both seem to be struggling to move closer to each other in an attempt to be the one picked.

Taywen just glares down at her arm. "...Typical," she mutters.

"Let's ask Buffy," Spike grumbles as he finally stops trying to move. The blonde Slayer was directly across from the two, but was hindered by Taywen who was still standing there.

"Um... Can't really see," the Slayer mumbles, glad to have an excuse. She isn't honestly sure if she could have made a decision even if she could see.

"Fine, Connor and Faith, tell us who!" Angel snaps angrily, apparently concluding that moving is futile after all.

"Err..." Faith struggles with who to choose for a moment because as far as she can see, the girl's pointing right in the middle of the two. Spike or Angel... "Angel," she says finally, not meeting Spike's eyes.

The everyone's heads swivel to regard Connor, who looks a little uncomfortable at being the sudden center of attention. He looks at the angle of Taywen's arm... then to the space she's left pointing to. "...Spike."

Spike, Buffy, Angel and Taywen all groan in unison.

Taywen sighs. "All right," she says, letting her arm fall to her side. "I'm gonna ask all three of you a question and you'd better answer honestly!" She walks over to Connor and whispers in his ear, inaudible to all. He murmurs and answer back and she moves on to Buffy, repeating the process over again.

Then it's Faith's turn.

"Out of the two vampires with a soul, who would you entrust with your life?"

The question is so quiet that even the dark Slayer has to strain to hear. "Angel," she mutters back, sparing only a moment to think.

The girl nods and straightens. "Ok, here's the rules: One person killed with the 'fork. One left to die, one carried out and saved and one thrown out the window, also saved. No saving-slash-killing more than the allowed number or trying to change the way someone dies." She pauses then adds, "Angel it is then." She waves her hand at the darker vampire then disappears.

"All right, I think we all know who's going to be stabbed with the pitchfork," Angel says immediately once she's gone. Everyone looks at Spike, who sighs, resigned to his fate.

"What a way to go," he growls bitterly. "Killed by... by... _Angel."_ His tone oozes contempt. "Right here, mate," he sneers, touching his throat. "Through the neck, so I won't die. I'll get killed by the fire _and_ stabbed."

"Excellent idea," Angel shoots back, stalking grimly over to the gardening instrument. He picks it up easily and turns back to the blonde.

"Angel..." Buffy looks sad. "At least make it quick."

Faith casts a sidelong glance at her senior counterpart. This shocks her. She was under the impression Buffy hated Spike... Well, not hated but strongly disliked and put up with him only because he was a good warrior.

"I will," Angel replies without looking back. "Once the fire catches, he'll dissolve into ash moments later."

Ouch. This was a harsher, more ruthless Angel than she'd ever seen. Not counting Angelus, that is, but she thinks of them as two separate people. Faith winces, but can't move.

"Great," she snarls suddenly, causing everyone to pause and look at her. "I can't move. Damn test... I like them better when you're sitting behind some smart loser who you can copy off of."

Connor stares at her. "Copy?" he repeats.

"Yeah... As in cheating? Ring a bell? ...Probably not, hell dimension childhood and all that. Wonder if it compares to mine." She laughs bitterly. "Gonna get that over with, Angel? 'Cause B.'s watch is sayin' there's only eight minutes left." Wait... Where had Buffy gotten that watch from? Shiny new Rolex too... Somehow Faith doubted she'd stolen it, goody-two shoes that she was.

"Yeah, get it over with you poof," Spike adds, glaring at the vampire. "Your hair gel is evaporating or something and your hair's going flat.. Un-poof-like."

Angel moves faster than a normal eye can see... As it is, the three watching aren't exactly normal, so they see it all. Unfortunately, it is fast enough that they don't have time to turn away...

Then Spike's lying on the ground, unconcious, with the pitchfork through his neck. Well, two of the three prongs through his neck at any rate, not quite beheading him.

Buffy looks traumatized as she stares disbelievingly at first Spike, then Angel.

"You could've warned us!" Faith complains, looking away and finding herself able to move once again. Now she regrets her decision in choosing Angel... Although Spike probably would have done the same to Angel, she reflects, feeling just slightly better.

Angel shrugs and doesn't meet Faith's eyes.

Connor goes over to examine Spike's comatose form. "It's a good thing he doesn't need to breathe," he remarks, nudging the 'fork with his foot. The blonde groans but doesn't wake up. "So, Dad, who's gonna be left to die? Apart from Spike, that is?" he asks, abruptly turning away from the vampire and looking at his father. Faith is unnerved; even she has never been that uncaring... Has she?

Angel shoves his hands into his pockets and shifts uncomfortably. He still doesn't meet Faith's eyes, and the Slayer knows the answer. She laughs bitterly. "That's what I get for choosing you. Figures I'd be one of the ones to die. My life was already fucked up, so how can this possibly matter?!"

Buffy glances up, startled. "You chose Angel?" she asks, looking a little surprised.

"Well, yeah," Faith mutters. "Didn't you, B.?" Yet somehow, she already knows the answer to this too.

"Um... No. I chose Spike," Buffy mumbles in response, looking down at her watch. "Six minutes left."

"Wait, you chose Spike? So did I," Connor interrupts.

"Minority wins?" Faith suggests. "How weird is that? Why didn't she pick Spike?! I probably would've lived!"

"You picked Spike?!" Angel demands of his son. "How could you pick him over me?! You don't even _know_ him!"

Connor shrugs but says nothing. Aloud, that is; his face says volumes.

Faith laughs again. "Well, better get the saving bit over with, Angel. Only five minutes left." She sneers, a shade of her old, murderous, self.

"I--" Angel falters. He looks from Buffy to Connor to Faith to Connor to Buffy to Connor to Faith... Then his face hardens. "Very well," he says, his features unreadable as he stalks over to Connor, but from his stance Faith can tell he's angry. He grabs his son unceremoniously and tosses him out the window. Or tries to – he actually threw his child into the wall beside the window, but he was thrown with such force that he broke through the wall and flew outside.

The original vampire with a soul turned back to the two Slayers and if she hadn't been used to facing down ferocious demons and their ilk, Faith would have taken a step back from the creature. His face is as blank as ever, but his eyes flash dangerously. He walks over to the two, who have unconciously moved so they stand side by side, as if taking comfort from the other's presence.

Buffy shifts uncomfortably and glances down at her Rolex. "Four minutes," she whispers.

"So, Angel, have ya decided to change your mind? I'm the obvious choice, ya know." Faith winked. "Got way more skills than B. over here." She nudges the predecessor of her predecessor. "Ain't that right, B.?"

"Yeah, ok," Buffy mumbles distractedly, still staring hard at her watch. "What?! I mean, no way!" she cries, realizing what Faith just said. "She just wishes that."

Angel studies them silently for several moments.

At their feet, Spike groans again. His eyelids flutter, but he still doesn't wake. Blood trickles weakly out of the wounds on his neck and falls softly to the ground, quickly soaked up by the dry, stale straw on the floor.

His eyes flick to the other vampire, then back up to the Slayers. Without warning, he grabs Faith and runs out, leaving Buffy standing there silently, staring wordlessly at her watch.

As the fire parts before them and they leave the barn, Buffy mumbles, "Half a minute..."

They just get out of the barn before it collapses behind them with a mighty creak. The flames shoot up, then go out...

Then they're back in the barn, back in the circle.

"You're not supposed to leave two people to die," Taywen says in a resigned voice. Faith wonders why she looks so annoyed. It's not like she told them that before. "Ok, since I've tried to do this three times now, I'll just leave you with your memories..." She waves a hand and the memories come roaring back into Faith's mind. She would have fallen to her knees if she could have moved.

They stand in silence, reeling mentally. "Ok, who's left...? Oh, the two blondes." Taywen waves her hand again and Faith, Angel and Connor are pushed back, leaving Buffy and Spike facing each other.

"So," Spike finally manages to say. "Who's it gonna be, luv?"

Taywen smirks. "You decide. No more spinning for me. Much too humiliating. To do that for a fourth time... No way."

"What are we going to do then?" Buffy demands. "And where did I get that stupid watch from?"

"Watch? Little PTB touch I guess." Taywen shrugs. "Rock, paper, scissors you two." She grins and steps back.

"What are you, a three year old?!" Spike growls. "Can't you think of something better than... than rock, paper, scissors?!"

"Sorry. PTB condition. It's that, or the spinny-thing again," Taywen answers.

"Spike's just upset because he always loses at rock, paper, scissors," Angel puts in.

Spike glares at him. "I just have bad luck," he growls under his breath.

"Hurry up!" Faith cries impatiently.

Buffy shrugs and stick her arm out. Spike follows suit.

"Rock... Paper... Scissors!"

Spike's hand is curled into a fist; Buffy's is flat out.

"Best out of three," Spike blurts out, looking annoyed but resigned at losing.

Buffy nods.

"Rock... Paper... Scissors!"

Buffy's paper again; Spike's scissors. He looks considerably happier, while it's Buffy's turn to be annoyed.

"Rock... Paper... Scissors..."

Author's Note:

vaguely amused (anon. reviewer): Nah, I don't mind the anon. reviewers. I tried to make Taywen less whiny, in your honor. ...Although I'll be surprised if you come back and review again. ;)

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with this chapter.


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